Detained ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia has appealed the court in Dhaka against his deportation to India from Bangladesh after completing his jail term in Dhaka, Director General of Border Security Force Ashish Kumar Mitra said today.
“For the first time they (Bangladesh Rifles) had sent a list of nine Indian insurgents, including Anup Chetia to be deported, but Chetia approached the court against the deportation,” Mitra told reporters at Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland Frontier headquarters here.
Bangladesh Rifles had repatriated at least eight Indian insurgents arrested in Bangladesh to India, while the BSF unilaterally handed over seven Bangladesh’s wanted criminals to Bangladesh Rifles.
In fact, the ULFA founding general secretary Anup Cheri alias Golap Baruah, general secretary had also got the support of Manobadhikar Bastobayon Sangstha, a Dhaka-based human-rights group against his deportation.
The militant leader had prayed for political asylum in Bangladesh, saying he was “fighting for freedom” in Assam and had entered the neighbouring country to escape Indian security forces.
The BSF Chief, however, expressed optimism that Chetia would be deported after Indian authorities verified that the detained ULFA leader was an Indian citizen. “It may take sometime more for them to repatriate him (Chetia) to India after seeing the positive approach of the Bangladesh government this time,” he asserted.
Taking of advantage of the “attitudinal difference” of Bangladesh government, Mitra said India will continue to pursue with Bangladesh to hand over all India’s most wanted criminals, including insurgents.
“We will continue to seek the help of Interpol, CBI and even at different forums to mount pressure on Dhaka to take actions against them and later handover to us,” he said.
Chetia has a red corner notice served in his name and is wanted by Interpol New Delhi. He is wanted on an arrest warrant issued on March 3, 1997, by the judicial authorities in Guwahati for terrorist activities.
When asked if Bangladesh’s failure to deport Chetia was mainly due to India not having an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, Mitra said, “Though, India does not have an extradition treaty with Bangladesh, deportation of Indian nationals is possible after being convicted by the court and on completion of sentences.”
Mitra was here on a three-day visit to North Eastern states and reviewed the overall security scenario in the region with senior BSF officials of the Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland (AM&N) Frontier following his recent meeting with Bangladesh Rifles Chief Maj. Gen. Shakil Ahmed at Dhaka recently.
During the bi-annual Border coordination meeting, Mitra handed over to Maj Gen. Ahmed a list of 110 insurgent camps, including those of ULFA, NSCN (I-M), NDFB, NLFT and other banned Indian outfits - operating from Bangladeshi territory, complete with their addresses.